The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

Thriftygifty

Stressful day today, Had a reasonable size Morries del first thing this morning not knowing what to expect would be missing it wasn't to bad, no baby formula, no frozen chips or fish cakes or fish fingers, i'm hoping the lack of formula sorts it's self out in the next few weeks.  It was a trial run of cleaning the food and was impossible, we put an oil cloth table cloth on our large out door table so the food was stacked up, we washed fresh and frozen food with warm soapy water (Hoping that's enough until we sort the bleach mix) then it came inside went on the kitchen table on a tea towel everything else was put on shelves in the porch for a few days but how long should it stay there?  Where it was then moved to be rinsed off and then on another tea towel before going in the fridge, the trouble is the worktops were not clear enough, there was water everywhere, it took over an hour.  Once everything was put away all the tea towels and cloths were washed on 60 and all worktops wiped down, DH came home and steam mopped the floor, will this kill everything on the floor?  We need to streamline the food process better. 

We're not sure what todays news means for DH job, i'm hoping it means they close tomorrow and he gets 80% wages as i'm not sure how much more I can take, I made him strip off in the porch when he got home tonight, (we have no blinds!) then get in the shower which we have downstairs.  I'm having a slight issue breathing tonight and have been for the last couple of nights, not during the day, my family think it's a result of mild panic attacks.  My Midwife called today to say GP is closed and i'm to go to the childrens centre for app, i'm going to ask more about HB as have up until now point blank refused but I really don't know how the hospitals will be in 3 or 4 weeks time if he stays put until then.

prepareathome

Well, onight my poor other half has had to travel to Granddaughters Uni, twice to collect her and her boyfriend's things and then them - he is en route to do this now. 
They had been hoping to ride this out in halls at least till end of summer term as Granddaughter ( we brought her up) is terrified she passes the s on to me as I am at risk of complications but not thankfully in highest category).  Her boyfriend, a third-year student has a housemate, a trainee nurse, who had a patient that was hospitalised with the virus a week ago and so boyfriend moved into halls with granddaughter - she is first year.  Then yesterday one of her flatmates ( accommodation made up of flats which are 6/8 rooms all sharing one kitchen but her block all have en suites so no sharing of bathrooms. ) started with a high temp but so far no cough.  So he self-isolated and they were feeding him.

Then this morning Uni told them they all had to leave by the end and then tonight (Monday) around 8 pm so, before PMs speech, they were all informed they all had to leave the campus by midnight.  So even her flatmate had to go temp and all   They were told all rooms would be cleared and anything left would be thrown out. 

Boyfriend cannot go home yet as his mother is in the highest risk category and now he has to possible exposures to the s so coming to us is statistically better option.  Then if after 7 days he is ok then his dad can come and get him, he lives hundreds of miles away.

Their uni is an enclosed campus with a brand new medical school on site and set on grounds outside a very small town so would make a perfect place to set up an emergency hospital so we are wondering if this is why they have suddenly been cleared out.  it can be secured if need be as everything is enclosed.   Being told every room will be cleared and anything left does make me wonder if this is the plan.

Poor granddaughter is now petrified I or hubby will catch it from them but nothing can be done they have to come here.

Just as well I was prepared for at least her having to come home sooner than summer even though she kept telling me not to worry about food for her as she planned to stay there and thankfully we can feed him as well.

Thanks to my declining health and a husband that has never believed we needed more than a weeks food tops my good supply of stocks has ran down as he refused to buy more plus when the firm he worked for closed down in August 2017 he received zilch redundancy through the way it was done ( that legal battle is still ongoing) and no one wanted to employ a 63-year-old man so we have been living on my ESA and DLA marking time until he receives his pension in the summer.  

So my stocks have helped keep us from going into debt but I have tried to ensure we did have some, could not sleep at night if no extra bit of food in, comes from a childhood where food, what there was of it was bought daily, not that we were really poor but had a dad who was an inventor and he spent all his income on that and mum with 5 children in 11 years could not go back to work until I was 14 when I was old enough to babysit evenings and weekends.

Got to admit hubby and I ( well me mainly) have had a few words when he has come back almost empty-handed from shopping about how if he had trusted me we would have full cupboards of everything but trying not to be a harridan.   I rarely can get out and first thing Monday morning had call from doctors saying I must stay in for next 12 weeks as my last blood tests brought up something new but nothing much can be done at the moment so they will reassess after next bloods in three months.    At least I know now why I feel so tired all the time, just come out of a flare and usually although each time I never go back to as before I do usually, can stay awake all day and it has been bugging me why could not.

So just have to see what happens these next few weeks as not much can be done but at least two more, if they stay healthy who can go food hunting as I do worry about exposing hubby so much as men seem far more at risk than woman of dying from this and he always refuses to go to doctors even though he has lost weight ( except tummy) and eating less and less and always tired himself. - I just hope its mild depression as apart from shopping or if he has to take me for medical appointments he sits on couch and watches tv as no a cook or a handyman, no hobbies.   Apart from Iceland I have not bothered with online delivery to ensure he did at least get out the house for shopping, sorry I did that now.

So tomorrow will go through everything and see exactly where we stand food etc wise just in case boyfriend ends up having to stay longer.  Plus do some meal planning to ensure everything is used. 

Just had a text they are en route home now, dogs will be happy.
Hubby methinks will be sleeping in tomorrow ( well today now) xxxx
 

greenbee

DryTheRain said:

greenbee said:

I called my GP this morning as my temperature still wasn't down after 3 weeks of symptoms. Was quite happy with a week's sick note as she felt rest would help. Then got a call back to say I need to go in at 4pm - side door, phone to let them know you're there, GP in full PPE, into the isolation room. Not looking forward to it. Plus I wanted a nap this afternoon and I need to stay awake now... 

Golly hope it goes OK, keeping fingers and toes crossed for you xXx

And thank yous for the kind and supportive words posted earlier, we face all kinds of moral choices in times like these and it’s so amazing that there are safe places like this, providing advice and reassurance. 

No secondary infection or lung damage. Diagnosis confirmed (no test, obviously, those are rightly being saved for hospital admissions) but i’m following the same pattern as others who have had it mildly and recovered. I was looking forward to getting out and seeing the odd person but it appears I now have another 3 weeks of enforced isolation due to most of the population being even more stupid than Boris thought we were...

baggins11

I am pleased you are OK greenbee.  I am frustrated too that I am just getting over it and the world is shutting down.  As I have been out of action for a couple of weeks there are some things for the garden I haven't bought that I needed.  I had bought onions sets already and lost them and I am guessing with the shut downs I won't be able to get them anywhere now.  Same with seed potatoes.  I am wondering if Wilko will stay open as they sell medicines but can't find any info online.  At least I got compost and seeds which is the main thing.

Still its just an inconvenience and if the shutdown needs doing to keep people safe then I support it.  Just wish I had a couple of days to get myself straight first after being cooped away.

Preparedathome, WOW what can I say.  You are going above and beyond.  Is there any way you can keep separate in the house from them as much as possible.  Being young they might not show any symptoms or just have a little sniffle so you probably need to assume they have it.

pineapple

I have various things on order/due for delivery from Amazon and other suppliers including food and seeds. Does anyone know whether they are likely to be delivered now? In fact will companies like Amazon be able to operate?

boultdj

Amazon is actively recruiting at the moment pineapple as they deliver food as well as other stuff.

baggins11

I just saw an article quoting the govt saying online retail is still open and encouraged and postal and delivery service will run as normal.

Possibly deliveries might take a bit longer due to staff being off but they will want to keep businesses running and not going bankrupt where possible.

Thriftygifty

I'm starting to think this lockdown is a fast with the list of places "essential" DH went into work, still open like normal although half the staff refused to come in, we're in limbo. Shopping advice try just once a week, surely if supplies are there the majority of people could shop for a couple of weeks. I'm on an allotment fb group for people with children etc and everyone is saying they are going to the allotment which is fine but they aren't grasping the fact it can be on surfaces or talking to Jim next door, they are saying it like they are being naughty school children and its funny. I guess I should be easier on people.  Had to dip into paracetamol supply have a splitting headache. 

greenbee

It’ll take a few days to iron things out, but I think that by keeping online retail going (and the DIY store look like they’re staying open) they may well keep the rest of us at home more easily. For example, in order to keep working from home I need to replace my work headset which is dead. So although some businesses stay open, only those roles that require people on site will be excepted to let them travel. Ironically my non-essential business can continue quite normally with everyone at home,

as for shopping, once the supply chain improves people will probably be allowed to buy enough for infrequent shops, but unless we all get an allocated location and time it may be difficult so have to be little and often until deliveries improve. 

Some of this will lead to permanent changes, not just temporary ones.

[Deleted User]

I'm relieved that the decision has been made to MAKE people behave sensibly.  There hasn't been a time like this in our lifetimes and I know we've had flu epidemics but this is totally different with the knowledge that there is no cure, no protection and if you're in our situation of being older and having health issues the result of getting it wrong is likely to be death.  Rather focuses the mind on what needs to be done rather than what we can do from choice.  People need to think of the consequences of their actions and not just of themselves and what they want.  OK it's not fair to be shutting pubs and restaurants and shutting parks and beaches but IF that's what it takes for there to be some brakes on the pandemic it's NECESSARY not OPTIONAL as are all the other measures that have been and will be put in place for the good of the whole nation.  It remains to be seen as to whether people will obey the rules or keep on risking other peoples lives by being selfish and flouting them I would just say though that this isn't going to last forever even if it feels like it while it's happening and people WILL remember who doesn't have the consideration to play by the rules and they will have to live with the rest of us who get through this afterwards.  People have long memories and there will be consequences and the old way of punishing transgressors was sometimes SHUNNING!  which doesn't hurt physically but will be very, very hard to live with and rightly so!